PERSONAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 17968, 8 September 1920, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Rev. J. Cocker, of Masterton. ban been appointed editor of the V’ait guard, the Prohibition journal. Archdeacon Jacob, of Timaru, hay tendered his resignation as vicar of St. Mary’s, Timaru, in order to tale over the control of St. Saviour's Orphanage. Mr D. C. Tregurtha, of Marton, was on Friday last, on the motion of ■Mr W. Perry, admitted by the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) as a solicitor of the Supreme Court. The many friends of Lieut-Coloncd D. Cossgrove. Dominion Chief Scour, will regret to learn that he has suffered a relapse during the past two or three days, and his condition is reported to be very low. Mr A. M. Lewis, a well-known business man of Gisborne and Te Karaka, was selected at a meeting of the Liberal Association at Te Karaka to stand as a Liberal candidate for the Bay of Plenty seat.— Press Association.

A remarkable career was brought to a close by the death at New Plymouth of Mr Michael O'Donnell, who had reached the age of 102 years (the News reports). For the past sixteen years Mr O'Donnell had resided with his son at Tongaporutn. but recently he came to New Plymouth. The career of this centenarian veteran was a picturesque one. and a few details available show that Mr O'Donnell had all the remarkable experiences of the older generation of British soldiers. He joined the Imperial Army early !n life. He held the British medal 1 (with three clasps), the Balacidw. ! Sebastopol. Inkerman, and tbap Turkish medals, while later on htW soldiering brought him to New Zea I land, and he received the New Zealland medal. The Maori war brought ’the late Mr O'Donnell to Taranaki, and he was engaged in the fighting ■around New Plymouth, notably at Sentry Hill. When the war ended [Mr O’Donnell decided to settle in I New Plymouth, and though all his [life had been devoted to soldiering, he started business as a bootmaker. i Some forty years ago he established 'a small shop in a lane which then used to run across the vacant site in Devon Street where the Theatre [Royal stood, and he carried on the [business of bootmaking there for twenty years. Then Mr O'Donnell moved to Tongaporutn, but he still ‘made very good boots, and he made his last yair when he was nearing I his hundredth birthday. A man of vigorous constitution. Mr O'Donnell enjoyed good health until two or three years ago. when he began to fail, but until then his remarkable vitality did not disclose his very advanced a.ge. It was only about five years ago that he had to resort to glasses to read with. Four of the deceased's grandsons served in the recent war—Harold. James, Leonard. and Michael O’Donnell.